R2-D2
R2-D2, pronounced "Artoo-Detoo", was an astromech droid, the most famous unit of the R2 series, and long time counterpart of Protocol droid C-3PO. Along with his resourcefulness, R2 had many tool-tipped appendages that allowed him to be a great starship mechanic and computer interface specialist. A bold droid, R2 would often enter dangerous situations without second thought. This adventurous streak saved the day on numerous occasions, often turning the tide of galactic history. Description R2-D2 was a diminutive droid, standing 0.96 meters tall. He rolled on two legs (three if one were to include his retractable third 'foot') and had a silver and blue domed head. His white, blue, and silver body housed many arms, sensors, and other apparatus, many of which were not readily seen by the typical humanoid eye. This often made the droid seem like a sort of 'box of tricks,' unexpectedly pulling out some previously unseen but much needed device at a critical moment. While R2-D2 contained many specialized gadgets, he was also quite good at taking the initiative and often employed unorthodox means to help his friends. This may be partly due to the fact that—as far as is known—he never underwent a memory wipe, thus increasing his capacity for creative thought and adding to his personality. Biography Blockade of Naboo At the time of the Blockade of Naboo (32 BBY), R2-D2 was in the possession of the Royal Engineers of Naboo. The Royal Engineers were famous for their after-market additions to their R2 units, making them some of the most sought after units in the Galaxy. He was commended for playing an important role in the escape of Queen Amidala from the occupied planet, making vital repairs after the queen's starship suffered damage from a Trade Federation battleship. Though the ship's hyperdrive had been damaged, the ship managed to safely make its way to Tatooine for repairs. Artoo accompanied Qui-Gon Jinn, starwars:PadméPadmé and Jar Jar Binks into Mos Espa to look for supplies. It was here that he met C-3PO, his eventual counterpart, and Anakin Skywalker. He helped to make repairs and final adjustments to Anakin's podracer before the Boonta Eve Classic, a race that, when Skywalker won, allowed the group to leave Tatooine. After a brief trip to Coruscant, the group made its way back to Naboo. Artoo displayed the hologram of Theed Royal Palace as the team was briefed by Padmé in preparation to infiltrate the capital city and reclaim the planet. Once the battle started, the little droid accidentally boarded the very same N-1 starfighter that Anakin chose to hide in. The pair thus ended up flying into orbit together and destroying the Trade Federation's Droid Control Ship at the Battle of Naboo. He was present during the celebrations that ensued, where Queen Amidala and Boss Nass celebrated the unification of their cultures. Post-Battle of Naboo Not long after the Battle of Naboo, R2-D2, along with Obi-Wan Kenobi, Padmé Amidala, and Jar Jar Binks, participated in the Gungan colonization of Ohma-D'un. Clone Wars Ten years after the Battle of Naboo, near the outbreak of the Clone Wars (22 BBY), R2-D2 was still in the possession of the Naboo, serving the now-Senator Padmé Amidala. After Padmé's life was threatened by assassins on Coruscant's Naboo Embassy landing platform, he was assigned to help guard her against further attacks, being stationed in her Coruscant bedroom as she slept. Turning off the cameras, Amidala put her safety in the hands of Artoo. Unfortunately, the poisonous kouhuns used by assassin Zam Wesell were able to penetrate the chamber without alerting Artoo's sensors, though luckily the Jedi that were assigned to protect Amidala sensed the danger in time. After this assassination attempt, Artoo accompanied Anakin and Padmé to Naboo on a freighter, and then to Tatooine. There, he was reunited with C-3PO, and the two accompanied Anakin and Padmé to Geonosis in an attempt to rescue Obi-Wan Kenobi. Once on Geonosis, Artoo ignored the cautions and complaints of Threepio and followed Anakin and Padmé into a droid factory where all four were caught up in a chase involving Geonosian guards. After 'accidentally' pushing Threepio off a ledge, Artoo used his booster rockets to come to Padmé's rescue. Artoo managed to avoid capture and eventually came to Threepio's aid, placing the protocol droid's head back on to the correct body. After the Battle of Geonosis, R2-D2 was present with C-3PO at the wedding of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala, and was one of the few who knew of their secret relationship. During the Clone Wars, Artoo and Threepio accompanied Padmé, Jedi Master Yoda and Captain Typho to Ilum, to rescue Jedi Master Luminara Unduli and her Padawan Barriss Offee. When Padmé disobeyed Yoda's orders to remain on the ship, believing the Jedi to be in danger, Artoo and Threepio accompanied her. Artoo used his sensors to alert Padmé of a droid assault, and later uncovered Count Dooku's involvement in attacking the Jedi Temple. Just after Anakin was elevated to the rank of Jedi Knight Padmé presented R2 to Anakin as her devotion-gift to her husband. When Anakin reminded her that the Jedi were not allowed to own anything, she replied "I'm asking you to look after him. He’s not really a gift. He's a friend." For the remainder of the Clone Wars, whenever Anakin flew into battle, R2 was right beside him. R2 served Anakin as his astromech in the Battle of Coruscant, where he played a role in the rescue of Chancellor Palpatine. On the Invisible Hand, Artoo was responsible for operating the elevators, allowing Anakin and Obi-Wan to reach the quarters of General Grievous, where the Supreme Chancellor was being held captive. After cleverly defeating a pair of pushy super battle droids by squirting them with oil and then igniting it with his jet boosters, as well as avoiding being crushed by the Jedi's starfighters when the command ship lost gravitational control, Artoo was captured along with the Jedi and the Chancellor. However, by creating a distraction, he provided the two Jedi a means by which they could retrieve their lightsabers and take over the ship's cockpit. Artoo then helped Anakin crash-land the ship safely. Once Anakin crossed over the Dark Side, becoming the apprentice of the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, Artoo tried unsuccessfully to inform C-3PO of Anakin's involvement in the siege of the Jedi Temple. However, the protocol droid chose instead to listen to the conversation between Anakin and Padmé, and Artoo was very soon on his way with the reformed Anakin to Mustafar. Told to stay with the Jedi Interceptor, Artoo did not witness Anakin's slaughter of the Separatist Council but met Threepio at the landing platform on which Padmé had landed her Naboo Skiff. As Obi-Wan fought with Anakin above the lava banks of Mustafar, Artoo helped Threepio to move a fallen Padmé into the ship, and try to stabilize her condition. Once Obi-Wan had returned, piloting the ship to Polis Massa, Artoo witnessed the births of Luke and Leia as well as the tragic death of Padmé on the operating table. Without masters, both R2-D2 and C-3PO came into the possession of Padmé's colleague Bail Organa. Organa then handed them over to the charge Captain Raymus Antilles for service on the Tantive IV. Organa ordered that C-3PO's memory be wiped, but, for an unknown reason, allowed for Artoo's memory to be maintained. Perhaps Senator Organa felt that it would be impossible for Artoo to communicate any of his information, or maybe even doubted the amount of information an astromech droid could possibly have regarding Anakin and Padmé Skywalker. Whatever his motives or beliefs, Organa's decision paved the way for Luke and Leia's eventual discovery of their mother's identity. Early Imperial Era R2-D2's servitude on the Tantive IV did not last long, though. Chief Petty Officer Corla Metonae supervised a drill involving the launching of the ship's escape pods. During the exercise, the Tantive IV was attacked by a pirate group from the Karthakk system, and forced to flee without recovering its jettisoned pods. It was soon discovered that R2-D2 and C-3PO were aboard one of the abandoned pods. Bail Organa placed high priority on retrieving the droids. Following this alarming event, R2-D2 and his counterpart C-3PO began being traded around by various owners. During this time, many of R2-D2’s peripherals were removed and replaced with miscellaneous accessories such as laser pointers and underwater propellers. They found themselves traveling the galaxy serving a series of different masters. After all their many adventures, the droids finally returned to the Tantive IV. Serving the Rebel Alliance, the droids deactivated an Imperial defense system during the Battle of Wayland, allowing the Alliance Fleet to land on Fresia. Galactic Civil War In 0 BBY, both R2-D2 and C-3PO were aboard the Tantive IV, which was on a secret mission to obtain the plans for a new battle station, the Death Star, when it came under attack by Devastator, Darth Vader's Star Destroyer. Leia Organa, then the owner of Tantive IV (having been given it by her adopted father), stored the Death Star plans in R2-D2 and recorded a distress message on him. R2 then jettisoned in an escape pod, along with a confused C-3PO, on a new mission to find Obi-Wan Kenobi. Once the escape pod had landed on Tatooine, Artoo and Threepio were captured by Jawas and then purchased by Owen Lars. While cleaning the droids for his uncle, Luke Skywalker discovered Leia's hidden message. He told his uncle, who ordered that their memories be wiped. Before this could be done, Artoo escaped into the desert to seek out Obi-Wan. He was followed by Luke and Threepio, who managed to catch up with him but were then attacked by Tusken Raiders. Artoo hid in a small cave as Obi-Wan 'Ben' Kenobi came to Threepio and Luke's rescue. Once in Obi-Wan's small hut, Artoo was finally able to play Leia's message to the correct recipient. Obi-Wan decided to follow her orders and take Artoo to Alderaan. After coping with the deaths of Luke's aunt and uncle, the group found transport in Mos Eisley; a young smuggler named Han Solo agreed to transport them to Alderaan in his ship, the Millennium Falcon. When they arrived where Alderaan should have been, it was no longer there, having been blown away by the Death Star. The Millennium Falcon was then captured by the Death Star, which was still in the system. Evading stormtrooper inspections of the ship, this allowed the group the chance to rescue the Alderaanian Princess Leia Organa. As the Wookiee Chewbacca and the three humans went searching for the Princess' cell and the tractor beam controls, R2-D2 and C-3PO took position in a communications room. Once discovered, the pair pretended to be Imperial droids, and managed to communicate with the group in time for R2-D2 to rescue them from a trash compactor. After escaping from the Death Star, Artoo was finally delivered to the Rebel Alliance on Yavin 4, bringing the Death Star plans with him and allowing the Alliance to defend themselves against the battle station. R2-D2 then acted as Luke's astromech during the attack on the station. He was severely damaged during the battle, but Rebel mechanics were able to restore him. Artoo remained in the service of the Heroes of Yavin, accompanying Luke to Dagobah and later to Cloud City, where he helped to rescue and repair a heavily damaged C-3PO. He also played a part in the escape from Cloud City, slicing computer systems, providing smoke screen, and fixing Millennium Falcon's hyperdrive at the last minute, facilitating escape from the Empire. R2-D2 also participated in the rescue of Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt by smuggling Luke Skywalker's newly constructed lightsaber into Jabba's Palace. He later joined the Rebel strike team on the forest moon of Endor. He helped to bring down the deflector shield so the fleet could destroy the new Death Star. Category:Droids